Non removable TFI?

[Pimpallic]

Hey guys, I have a 1988 Ranger 2.9l with a 1991 body that doesn't have spark. In an effort to find out why, after a new coil and starter soleniod, I decided to try to take the TFI off the distributor, but there aren't any bolts that hold it on? It seems to be one piece. I thought you could take it off?

 

[freerider6_9]

There are two bolts on it, If its never been done before or someone put them back in, Then there will be little plastic plugs in the holes. Pop then out and I believe they are 5mm heads, the tfi module tool is worth the buy after the first time you do it.

 

[Pimpallic]

I looked for 15 minutes, looking close up with a mirror, I can see where the 2 bolts should be, but there just isnt anything there, the holes go in a bit, but its like it was never drilled out or something, its just flat metal. I tried scrapping and poking around, I'm sure there is nothing.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Some one riveted it on ?
Richard

 

[freerider6_9]

that is exactly what the plugs seem like, keep digging at them or pull the dizzy and youll see, by flat metal do you mean where it should mount like the metal heat sink? being a body conversion is it posible someone "forgot parts"?

I guess we should start with, is there a connector? the tfi is plastic, you know that right? is it possible that the dizzy got swapped from a different truck or van with a 3 liter and a remote mounted tfi?

 

[spdcrazy]

the bolts, (when you find them) are 5.5mm. but you need a deep socket, which they dont make. so you have two options

1. 5.5mm ford distirbutor tool avail at all napa stores
2. a deep 7/32 socket. its a tight fit but it works

 

[Pimpallic]

Thanks for all the help guys. There is a TFI on the distributor because there is the TFI connector there. But by flat metal, I mean exactly where the 2 holes are where the bolts are/should be, it's just as if it was made without needing the bolts, because they seem to be filled in. Ill try tomorrow to get a camera back there, and take another look at it. BTW i was scraping and prying in the one, and its just all metal. Unless its a metal cap.

 

[spdcrazy]

have you tried to pull it down?

 

[Pimpallic]

Yeah, shes on there lol.

 

[Tedybear]

Post a pic of the stink weed. Maybe someone here can help figure it out?

S-

 

[freerider6_9]

Mark the dizzy's position on the block and loosen the hold down bolt and maybe you can turn it enough to get a better look. mark it good though so you wont have to retime hopefully

 

[Pimpallic]

I tackled it again today and it winds up that the one hole i could see in fact did have a cap on it. From the back of the module it just looked like part of the housing. The lower bolt i was able to see today and notice that there is in fact a bolt lol. Anyways after some prying and cursing i got the cap off the one hole and got the 2 bolts out and removed the TFI. Thanks a lot guys for the help on this

I did test the TFI in all the ways I could find, and it seems to be fine, so now im pretty much out of ideas on the no spark.

 

[Pimpallic]

Got it running today! My local mechanic had a spare TFI lying around and i swapped it in and it runs! So somehow the tests to test the TFI aren't any good lol, because the pooched one tested out fine

 

[adsm08]

They'll do that. The testers test their potential for functioning at a resistance level, which is highly inaccurate. It's not an actual stress test.